Casino accusations are shuffled out

Unknown group accuses many of corruption

By Emily Thurlow
Staff Writer

BRIMFIELD – Shortly before CEO of Palmer Paving David Callahan made his official announcement that he had chosen his development partner, MGM, residents around the town of Brimfield started to receive mailings from a group that claim to be against a casino in Brimfield. But they proved very much in favor of blame.
Within these mailings, the group who are calling themselves, “Citizens Against A Brimfield Casino,” accuse state Rep. Todd Smola (R-Palmer), state Sen. Stephen Brewer (D-Barre), state Rep. Joe Wagner (R-Chicopee), the entire Brimfield Select Board and Callahan of “corruption.” And whether residents in Brimfield are “for” a casino in town or “against” one, the mailings are upsetting a number of residents around town.
“It is certainly appropriate to express an opinion, pro or con, regarding the possibility of a casino in Brimfield, because open debate is a healthy process, but to make anonymous, unsubstantiated charges against others, including dedicated public servants, is a cowardly and desperate act that reflects more negatively on the accusers than on the accused,” said Brimfield Emergency Management Director Richard Morris. “They deserve better than to be subject to such attacks.”
Both Morris and retired Highway Surveyor Robert Hanna said that they had received between eight and ten mailings from the group and are continually receiving them.
“The Board of Selectmen have been through a lot this year and have done a fantastic job,” said Hanna. “To be criticized like this by people that aren’t signing their names on something that I know isn’t true is appalling and sneaky. It just isn’t right.”
In some of the mailings, the group claims that Select Board Chairwoman Diane Panaccione and board members Thomas Marino and Stephen Fleshman all have “real estate and financial connections with Callahan” and are corrupt.
“These people are cowards,” said Panaccione.
She said that when groups like “No Brimfield Wind,” shared their opinions, they “signed their names” to the cause, so that everyone knew where they stood.
Both Brewer and Smola agreed that the individuals behind the mailings should put their name to their accusations if they “feel so strongly” about their claims.
“Stand up or shut up,” said Brewer.
In some of the flyers, the group claimed that Brewer “sat in and recommended MGM to Callahan.” When asked about the claim, he laughed it off saying he honestly had “no idea” where that could be coming from.
Smola was also accused of having “secret meetings” with Callahan and that he and Brewer had been recipients to tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions.
“First of all, my campaign contributions are published records that anyone has access to. That is not a secret,” said Smola, who noted a number of land developers he had received contributions from over the years. “But to accuse myself and Senator Brewer of corruption is laughable.”
He also noted that he knew Callahan for many years, dating back to when he was a member of the Palmer Planning Board. But the area that he found the most “laughable” was the secret meetings, being linked to the campaign funds he’d received.
“I find it particularly interesting that I would be accused of any kind of corruption when I have never voted for a casino gaming bill,” he said. “Typically when a person is corrupt, they are advocating for their cause, but since I wasn’t convinced that the bill was worthy enough to represent the people of the community, I never endorsed it. That’s really quite a stretch for someone not to endorse something that they were supposedly being paid to endorse.”
Smola said that on the contrary, he had turned down campaign contributions from individuals in the past that were too entrenched in the issue of gaming.
“I think my integrity and character speaks for itself. I drive a Toyota, not a Ferrari,” he said. “It truly amazes me the lengths that people will go to.”
At the center of the casino corruption allegations is Callahan whom the group accuses of being linked to organized crime. One flyer in particular reads: “Scratch the surface and you will find deep ties between the Bulger family and David Callahan’s companies.”
Spokesperson for Callahan, Joseph Martin that that Callahan has “no intention of responding to anonymous attacks directed at good and decent citizens and public servants.
“This rogue individual has littered potential host communities across Western Massachusetts with similar fliers and has met with a strong backlash in each of these cities and towns,” he said. “It is our understanding that law enforcement officials are looking into this activity and we fully support that investigation.”
Palmer Town Council Vice President Philip Hebert said that the council hadn’t received any kind of mailing like this one throughout the casino proposal process in his town. And while the group calls themselves as “Citizens Against A Brimfield Casino,” he doesn’t necessarily think they’re actually from Brimfield.
“I don’t think that this group is a anti-casino group,” he said. “I could be wrong, but to me it sounds like an influential and established pro-Palmer casino group that doesn’t want a casino to go to Brimfield.”
He said the fact that the group wouldn’t provide a return address or a way to contact them in itself is “spineless,” and that they should “grow up.”
Maria Thomson, a Brimfield resident who has been active in the regional group Quaboag Valley Against Casino, said that no one she is aware of has been involved with the creation of the flyers. While she said she questioned the cost of bringing infrastructure like water and sewer service to Callahan’s site, she said most people are still “digesting” the Brimfield casino proposal, and organized opposition hasn’t really formed yet.
“I’ve gotten some literature in support of the MGM Grand proposal, but I personally have not seen the anti-casino flyers,” she said, adding that where she lives in the west end of town is not too far from the proposed development. “I really can’t say who has a financial interest in this matter, other than Callahan himself.”
In addition to being mailed out to board members at the town, the flyers with numerous claims have now been mailed out to residents throughout the town and were being laid across the windows of cars at Francesco’s Italian Restaurant in Brimfield. Currently, copies of the flyers have been turned over to the town counsel as well as Brimfield Police Chief Charles Kuss for an investigation, trying to determine the sender or senders.
“Maybe the individuals are too ashamed of their libelous claims to identify themselves. However, if their hands are clean and they are law-abiding individuals, we will know who they are when they comply with Massachusetts law, by registering with our Town Clerk and reporting the source of their financing for these mailings,” said Morris.

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